The debate between purists and new boxing fans will increase in tone this Saturday, when British KSI and American Logan Paul go up to the Staples Center ring in Los Angeles. The fight between these two youtubers , with 40 million subscribers across the planet, is the second episode of a rivalry that started 15 months ago with a null match in Manchester.

That fight, followed by more than a million people through YouTube, was considered the "greatest in the history of amateur boxing." For this rematch, the powerful promoter Eddie Hearn has signed television contracts with Sky Sports and DAZN.

Olajide William Olatunji, known as KSI, pocketed for that first fight 85 million euros, five times more than the earnings of Tyson Fury, one of the world stars of heavyweights. At 26, he has 20.4 million followers on YouTube, for a total of 5,000 million views on his channel.

No protections

Logan Paul, 24, achieved fame through the Vine app and currently also grabs the 20 million subscribers on his platform. "The first time he was able to defeat me, even though I only had three months of preparation," reveals the American on that first chapter at the Manchester Arena, where the judges handed out two cards of 57-57 and another of 58-57 in favor of KSI

All this scent prior to amateurism has tried to be erased by Hearn and his company, Matchroom Boxing, which tries to defend itself from criticism on the grounds that this fight will be, now, among professionals. The protections on the skull will give way to 10-ounce gloves at the Staples Center, which will also host two bouts of true pedigree.

In the first, Britain's Billy Joe Saunders will defend the WBO Super Media title against Argentina's Marcelo Esteban Cóceres. In addition, Dominican Alberto Santiago will try to snatch the interim belt of the WBO Lightweight from the American Devin Haney.

With the Mayweather family

However, acid criticisms of the Manchester fight filled pages of the specialized press. Paul Smith, former British Super Media champion, just stressed that "it wasn't boxing." The event, then, was broadcast on YouTube and followed in pay-per-view by more than a million people, the highest figure in all of history for an amateur fight.

On this occasion, both fighters seem to have raised the level of their workouts. A few weeks ago, KSI moved to Las Vegas to work with Floyd Mayweather, the uncle of the legendary Floyd. Paul, meanwhile, named Shannon Briggs, several times world heavyweight champion in the first decade of the century, as his trusted coach.

The last link in common with the professionals was the arrogant tone of their previous appearances, where they mixed jokes about their dogs with comments of doubtful taste about World War II and Winston Churchill.

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